Newcastle disease virus in Danish pigeon flocks
On 1 June 2022, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) detected Newcastle disease virus in two pigeon flocks at Næstved.
The one pigeon flock was located in an animal colony in Stenbæksholm with around 1000 birds, primarily pigeons, but also hobby chickens and domestic birds. The second pigeon flock was 100 pigeons and located in Stenstrup. The two pigeon flocks had the same owner. The one pigeon flock was located in an animal colony in Stenbæksholm with around 1000 birds, primarily pigeons, but also hobby chickens and domestic birds.
The second pigeon flock was 100 pigeons and located in Stenstrup. The two pigeon flocks had the same owner. Prior to the detection of the virus, there was a high mortality rate accompanied by, among other things, neurological signs and reduced egg production.
DK-VET, a consortium of the Statens Serum Institut and the University of Copenhagen, subsequently carried out an in-depth genetic characterization of the virus from the outbreak, which showed that the virus had the genotype VI.2.1.1.2.2, which indicates that this virus is a typical dove variant. Antigenic characterization of the virus substantiates that the virus is a pigeon variant of Newcastle disease virus and can thus be called pigeon paramyxovirus (PPMV-1). Viruses belonging to the same genotype have been detected in pigeons in a number of other European countries in recent years.
